A man from Ukraine was apprehended on Wednesday in Croatia in connection to the underwater blasts that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as per Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European warrant. Prosecutors stated that Vladimir Z., a certified diver, was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is under strong suspicion of being involved in causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings and structures.
The German government expressed satisfaction with the arrest, emphasizing the importance of clarifying the pipeline bombings. Earlier last month, German federal prosecutors pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., in connection with the same incidents. Serhii K. was detained in Italy in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany in November. He is facing charges related to causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public services, and being an alleged “accomplice to war crimes” by targeting civilian assets.
German authorities asserted that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock aboard a yacht rented from a German company. Germany is planning to pursue the extradition of the suspect, despite Poland’s previous refusal to extradite an individual with a similar name. The suspect was identified by Polish authorities as Volodymyr Zhuravlov. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, labeling them as a Russian attempt to leverage energy resources across Europe, led to resistance in handing over the suspect.
The explosions on September 26, 2022, damaged the pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The incidents exacerbated tensions amid the Ukraine conflict, prompting European nations to reduce reliance on Russian energy sources post the Kremlin’s invasion. The explosions impacted the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, previously Russia’s primary gas supply route to Germany until supplies were halted by Moscow in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 suffered damage, never operating due to Germany suspending its certification process shortly before the Russian invasion.
Accusations from Russia pointed fingers at the U.S. for orchestrating the blasts, a claim refuted by Washington. The U.S. and certain allies had criticized the pipelines, citing increased European dependency on Russian gas. The Ukraine government also denied involvement in the sabotage plot.